This application claims the priority of German patent Application No. 100 52 049.9 filed Oct. 20, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a gun for firing electrically-ignitable cartridges that contain electronic components, and in which an ignition contact is disposed on the cartridge bottom or base for producing a connection to an external current source, and a signal contact is disposed on the cartridge bottom or base for connecting the electronic components to an external electronic control and evaluation device.
Large-caliber guns for firing electrically-ignitable cartridges, as are used in combat tanks, for example, usually include a gun barrel that is seated in a cradle, and on which a breech ring having a wedge-type block that can be displaced transversely to the bore length is mounted on the breech end of the barrel. Disposed in the wedge-type breech block is an ignition transmission unit, which can be displaced axially, counter to the pressure of a spring, from a retracted position into an extended position by a breech-block unit, and is electrically connected via an ignition line to a contact device disposed on the stationary cradle. The current source that generates the electrical ignition signals is also connected to the contact device.
DE-OS 20 59 665, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,017, discloses a gun for firing electrically-ignitable cartridges that additionally contain electronic components, which serve in ascertaining the powder temperature of the respective cartridge. The data collected by the electronic components are subsequently transmitted to the cartridge of the same line used to transmit the ignition signals, then transmitted further to a fire-control calculator and used to correct the directional and/or ignition signals ascertained by the fire-control calculator.
The use of the same electrical line for transmitting data and ignition siganals poses a safety problem, because an undesired firing of the cartridge cannot be sufficiently reliably precluded.
DE 197 16 227, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,629, further discloses a gun of the type mentioned at the outset, with which electrically-ignitable cartridges can be fired. The cartridge bases or bottoms are provided with a central ignition contact for connecting to an external current source, and a signal contact, which is separate from the ignition contact, for connecting to a fire-control calculator. This publication, however, provides no further details about the breech-block-side construction of the corresponding gun.
It is the object of the invention to provide a gun with a wedge-type breech block of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the cartridge can be ignited and data can be transmitted from the cartridge to an external unit in a simple, safe manner.
This object is accomplished according to the invention by a gun for firing electrically-ignitable cartridges that contain electronic components, and in which an ignition contact is disposed on the cartridge bottom for producing a connection to an external current source, and a signal contact is disposed on the cartridge bottom for connecting the electronic components to an external electronic control and evaluation device, which gun includes a barrel that is seated in a cradle, and to which a breech ring is secured at its breech end, and a wedge-type breech block that is mounted in the breech ring for displacement transverse to the longitudinal axis or length of the bore of the gun barrel. An ignition and signal-transmission unit is mounted in the breech block for displacement in the axial direction of the barrel, counter to the force of a spring, from a retracted position into an extended position by a breech-block unit. The ignition and signal-transmission unit comprises a housing that includes two parallel, axially extending guides, and respective spring-loaded, needle-shaped contact devices seated inside the axial guides for displacement such that, in the extended position of the ignition and signal-transmission unit when the breech block is in a locked position, the first contact device is pressed against the ignition contact of a cartridge and the second contact device is pressed against the signal contact of a cartridge. Moreover, on a side facing away from a cartridge and toward the breech-block unit, the two needle-shaped contact devices are supported by respective compression springs against the housing of the ignition and signal-transmission unit, or a part that is connected to the housing part for movement therewith. Further, particularly advantageous, embodiments of the invention additionally are disclosed and described.
The invention is essentially based on the concept of providing an ignition and signal-transmission unit instead of an ignition-transmission unit, with a housing part that preferably comprises an insulating material and has two parallel, axial guides provided in the unit. Two spring-loaded, needle-shaped contact devices are disposed to be displaced inside the axial guides such that, in the extended position of the ignition and signal-transmission unit, the first contact device is pressed against the ignition contact and the second contact device is pressed against the signal contact of the cartridge. On the side facing the breech-block unit, each of the two needle-shaped contact devices are supported by a respective compression spring against the housing part of the ignition and signal-transmission unit, or a part that is connected to the housing part, such that the two contact devices can execute a different equalization stroke in the extended position of the ignition and signal-transmission unit, depending on the arrangement of the ignition and signal contact of the cartridge located in the loading space of the gun barrel.
It has proven advantageous for the two contact devices to be connected by essentially parallel electrical lines to the contact device of the gun that is fixed to the cradle, with the lines being disposed in common, strip-shaped structural groups, at least in partial regions.
The fire-control system or the ignition device can be fixedly connected to the contact devices secured to the cradle. The contacting of the electrical lines with the needle-shaped contact devices is advantageously effected by sliding contacts. In a similar manner, the electrical lines in the transition region between the ignition and signal-transmission unit and the breech wedge, and in the region between the breech wedge and the floor part, and/or between the floor part and the gun cradle, can be connected by way of sliding contacts.
A particular advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the majority of the tanks equipped with conventional guns (e.g., the Leopard 2 combat tank) can easily be retrofitted to fire electrically-ignitable cartridges. No mechanical manipulation of the wedge-type breech block and the breech ring is necessary. Usually, it is only necessary to replace the existing ignition-transmission unit with the ignition and signal-transmission unit according to the invention. The existing breech-block unit can continue to be used for displacing the ignition and signal-transmission unit. The electrical line needed for ignition transmission in conventional guns is replaced by a connection comprising two lines; the existing passageways through the wedge-type breech block and the breech ring can be used for these lines.
The exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures reveal further details and advantages of the invention.